As ATMC’s newest Marketing and Sales Representative, Shikha Chanda plans to drive market growth by promoting the many benefits of studying at ATMC to potential students.
A major part of Shika’s role is to be the main liaison between agents and on-shore students. Her days consist of regularly meeting with agents day-to-day to assist them with various student queries.
“I really like my role because I get to meet different people and help them with their questions, and then I resolve their issues by liaising with management,” Shikha says.
“My first priority is to satisfy our agents, if our agents are satisfied then that will encourage the growth of our college.
“I also arrange the marketing promotions. If agents require some form of marketing material to promote ATMC I have to assist them with this. This material is important because it helps to give students more awareness about our courses and how good our quality of teaching is,” she says.
With previous experience working for various Registered Training Organisations (RTOs), Shikha is motivated to further develop her career with ATMC.
“I have had experience working in education and I really enjoy it. I want to gain as many skills as I can to be able to help others,” she says.
“I’m excited about my new role in marketing. It’s very challenging and very new for me. This is the main sector where I can learn more about education and how we can grow as an education institute.
“I believe marketing is the way that I can learn about how the education sector is changing, so I can then use that information to benefit our institute,” Shikha says.
Originally from Chandigarh, India, Shikha moved to Australia to enhance her knowledge of the world. Being a former ATMC student herself, she knows a thing or two about the challenges international students face studying abroad.
“I graduated from ATMC with a Masters in Information Systems in 2014. I always thought that I wanted to work at ATMC because I loved my experience as a student here,” Shikha says.
“ATMC provides very good quality of studies and everyone is so supportive. During my studies if I faced any study problems or personal issues, I always had help from ATMC staff.
“At other universities, the environment is very different. I know this because I actually studied at another university in my first semester but I dropped it because I didn’t feel welcomed. The course was good but I didn’t feel like I was getting the support and encouragement that I needed,” she says.
Shikha says one of the reasons she enjoys her job so much is because she can use her personal experience as a student to promote an institution she truly believes in.
“ATMC is the best place if you are away from your country. I think it’s a great college because they appreciate all cultures and understand the needs of international students studying in Australia,” she says.
“I like the lifestyle in Australia. I can see many opportunities for women here, I’m living here independently and feel very safe.
“My parents always supported and encouraged me to become independent, without their support I might not be confident and independent person I am today. They showed me the right to treasure simple things in life and spread happiness,” Shikha says.